Rail brace



May 24, 1932. TOLD 1,860,064

Filed Jan. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 24, 1932. A. H. TOLD 1,860,064

RAIL BRACE Filed Jan. 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I fi 12711277107 fir/wld fifY/d nor, or otherwise, the fastening means being Patented May 24, 1932 I.

MENT G011111554118174, 02f! cn cAeo," InLnvors, A conroRn'rIoN or in IivoIs RAIL BRACE Applicationfiled January 16,1931; iSerial Nm SQE LOSGQ i This invention relates to an improvement 1n theconstruct1on of a'rail brace such-as-is used forbracing rails against sidethrusts which tend to displace a "rail laterally or to tip the rail. i,

The main objects of the inventionlare,fto provide an improved form of rail'brace which can practicably be made to lit the desired portions of a'rail so as to effectively brace the rail, while at the same timeavoidingexcessive wear on either the brace 01'- the rail as anincident to the normal relative movement therebetween; to provide such an improved rail; brace which can be economically made, for instance, by dropforging; and, in general, it is the object of the inventionto provide; an improved braceof the type referred to." s

Other'objects and certain advantages of the invention will be understood by-reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (twozsheets) in whichtwo selected embodiments illustrated. In the drawings: i j

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved brace, showing the same applied to a rail;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the improved brace; I Fig.- 3 is a' sectionon the line 3-'8 of Fig. 1, and v Fig. 4 is a view similar to inga modified construction. v v 7 Referring nowto the drawings, a rail of conventional type is illustrated at 5,'the same being seated on a tie 6. The rail may be secured to the tie 6 by spikes in the usual manof the invention are omitted in the drawings, inasmuch as the invention. herein involved isnot concerned therewith. i j Such railsas guard and stock rails", switch points, curved rails, and others, are subjected to considerable lateral thrusts which have a tendency to displace such rails laterally or to tip the same. For bracing suoh rails against such thrusts, various forms of braces are .provided. 1 I11 the drawings,fthe rail, represents any rail which requires bracing} against lateral thrusts, and one form of'my 1, but show 2 and 3.

f TAT ARNOLD 11.1mm, or oHIoAeo; ILLINOIS, ASSIGNI'OB; o, am ral; R irnwjw ggi improved brace erably provided with notches, such as indi-.

cated at 9, initstopposite side edges, through which spikes suchlas indicated at 10, maybedriven into the tie 6 for securely anchoring the brace. The brace also embodies-a frontportion 11, the lower part 12 of which is 'shap'edtoform a fillet-bearing surface adapted to, fit ior bearagainstthe fillet13- of the rail betweenthe base flange .14 ,an'dweb 15.

thereof, A jforwardportion 0f the base -8 1s offset upwardly, as indicated at-1 6,;to,

overlie the basefiange, 14,, The upper portion 17 of the frontpart of the brace is shaped to forin a fillet-bearing surface which is between thehead 19 and web 15 oftherail adapted to fit or bearagainstflthe fillet ,18

observed that aportion of the web 15 016 the v rail adjacent each of-the fillets and 18 is also engagedby the front portion of thebrace;

However, it should benoted thatthe bottom surface of therail lhead 19 .is not engaged r i by the brace. A hollow strut 21-extends be-- I T tween the upwardly extending front portion '11 of the brace andthe base part 8 thereof'f o '1 to rigidly support the said front portion 11} n itsproper rail engaging position. Aswill and 3,-the hollow brace element 21 isof inits frontv end-where it joinsthefrontpart 11 of the brace thanatitsrear end 22 where it is materia'llynarrower; Itwill be'understood thatthefillet-bearing parts previously V be understood from an inspection of Figs. 2

referred to are elongated and ar'e substan tiallv co-extensive length with the width'.

oftherail brace. .2

It will be understoodthat the vii-magmas, j l v j ,formedlntegral' w1th !one another,,pr'eferof the ,brace structure just described are ablyof malleable iron, and by any practieconomically practiced, while 7 at the same cable process, such as forging, which maybe t eliminatedso that the useful life of both the In the prior art, sofar as known to me, \braces of the general type herein referred to have been formed with a so-called fishing angle fit which contemplates an accurate fit between the converging bottom surface 20 of therail' head and'topgsurface 23 f the base flange 14. Such structures result 3 in a considerable or wearing effect of the normal relative movement between-the brace and rail is largely raid andthe brace is materially prolonged.

In 'etlrer words, by' e li'min ating' the Wedg in-g efiect ef the-brace betw-een the rail; head and base fliinge,--Wear on the parts material-1y I As'indicated'at 24-,the front part- 0f the brace'intennediate its upper and lower fillet fittingp'arts is recessed. S'uch'recess effects a--saving metal and consequent reduction costofthe bra'ce,-while also avoiding the necessity of forming the entire front area of thebrace p'arft llto accurately fit the entire area o fthe-web $5. "By relying on the reduced areas o f contact or engagementfbetween the brace {and rail i asshown,- it iscbvious ly much easier {to produce-an accurate fit'betweenthe reduced portions; It is found that such reduc'ed contaot areas -may be: formed with c-ient accuracy to constitute contact areas,

' which 'are approximate-1y 100% larger than the actual; area of-contact :in the prior art type: of braces. obv iousl y, such "increased cGrrtact arew-more eifectiVeIy supports or braces the rail andmore' effectively resists wear onb'oth the'rail and brace.

I In FigL'A;thefrail-"and its variousparts referred {to in connection w ith Figs. 1 to 3-inelusiveare designated-by the same reference characters, {as is also the'fltife'". Th'e brace, whiohi'is of somewhat. modified construction,

' is designated 25,2.ahd *inygeneral is of the same construction-as, the, brace 7 above-desen-beds However, the tQppartQG'o-f the portion {27' "of the br'acefis shaped to fit "onlyfthe fillet portion 1'8 of 'the'rail to the 'excfl'usron of, any, material part of the web 5,

"while; the lower "portion 28 f of f the said front the brace fis' s imilarly shaped to fit only-the fillet "1 3 of the rail fto the exclusion cfbOththe "adjacent part ofthe web-and the top surface 23 of the base flange 14. The

web of the ra il as'indicatedat 29,an'd the base portion is' spaced upwardly from thetopsurface 23 of-t'herail base flange so that the only areas 'offcontact occur at t'he fillets 1 3and1 8; This arrangement, while being a greater departure from themore or less has substantially the same advantages thereover as those explained above'in connection p with the structure depicted 1n Figs. 1, 2 and even easier to secure an accurate fit between the still further reduced areas f =-contact whichiare nevertheless sufiicient for all prack tical purposes. In this modified construe: tlonj, such limited wear as occurs between the base 16 of the brace and flange 14 of the X rail in the first describedconstruction is practically eliminated. v

I a r-n'aalarethat changes may be made 1n the above described structureswithoutjdeparting from the spiritiof. the invention, the scopeof which-should be determined by ref eren'ceto the following claims-,cwhichshould be. construed asbroadly aspossible consistent with thestate of the art. 7 Y

Iclaim asfmy invention: r

1. A rai l brace of the o1 'ss described, having a base part and a front part extending upwardly from said base part, the. forward portion of said base part being adapted'to fi-t over the basefl'angelof a rail in spacedree In the modified structure of Fig. 4, it is standard'practice and prior art construction,

lation thereto and the portion. ofithe .brace atthejunction of said base [and front- "parts being formedfto engage the fil'l'et betwe'enithe rail base flangeand web p'ortions, the upper portion of saidfront lpart beingladapted to fit and engage the fillet between the head and web portions of the rail, and said'front par-t being-recessed inter-mediate said upperland lower fillet-engagingportions, the recess exf tending between said-fillet-engaging portions and serving to prevent contactingzof the front part of the brace with the web portion of V the rail, and a hollow strut extending between said base part and front :part for supporting the latter. V

2. A rail brace of the class described,having -a base part,a front par t .extendingup- \vard'ly from thefrontedge of said base part,

there being a bearing surface formedv at the junctionof'said-base andfront parts for*bear-' ing against the fil'l'et between the rail" base flange and web portions,-t'he upper,portion' of said front part being formed to 'cleart-he bottom surface of therail head andto, bear upper and lower fillet bearing portions Ibeingrecessed to-reducelthe area -of bearing contact between said front part andtheweb of-the rail an'd to cause.thethrust orloadof the rail o be transmitted to the b racemainly A .throughsaid.fillet-bearingportions. front ofthe brace, -1s archedaway from the 3. JA rail brace ofthe'class described, havinga base part a front part extending up- Wardlyfrom the front edgeof said 'basepart, there being a bearing surface formed at the base flange andweb portions, the upper peragainstthe fillet betweenlthe head and web of the rrai l, said front part intermediate said junction of said base and frontpa'rts for bearing against .the fillet between. the rail tion of said frontifpart being'formed to clear 1 part, the forward portion of said base part being adapted to extend'over the base flange tions.

the bottom surface of the rail head and to bear against the fillet between the head and web of the rail, said front part being recessed intermediate said upperand lower fillet-bear ing portions, the recess extending between said fillet-bearing portions so as to cause the thrust or load of the rail to be transmitted to the brace through said fillet-bearing por- 4. A rail brace of the class described, hav ing a base part, and a front part extending upwardly from the front edge of said base of a rail in spaced relation thereto, and there being a bearlng portion formed at said base and front parts to bear against the filletbe-' tween the rail base flange and web portions the upper portion of said front part being; formed to clear the bottom surface of the rail head and to bear against the fillet between V the head and web portions of the rail, and; V said front part being recessed intermediate said upper and lower fillet-bearing portions,

so as to reduce the area of bearing contact be- I tween said front part and the webof therail, thereby to cause the, thrust or loadof'the rail to be transmitted to the brace mainly through said fillet bearing. 7 V v 5. A rail brace of the class described, having a base part, and a front part extending upwardly from the front edge of said base part, the forward portion of said base part being adapted to extend over the base flange I V v of a rail in spaced relation thereto; and there being a bearing portion formed at thejunc 1 tion of said base andfronti parts to bear against the fillet between the rail base ifla'nge and web portions, theupper portion of said 7 front part being formed to clear the bottom 1 surface of the rail head and to bear against the fillet between the head and web portions of the rail, and said lower part being recessed intermediate said upper and lower filletbearing portions, the recess extending between said fillet-bearing portions so as to cause the thrustlor load of, the rail to be transmittedv to the brace through said. fillet-bearing por- ARNOLD H. TOLD,

tions. 

